With the moon looming ever larger, the Artemis II astronauts raced to set a new distance record Monday from Earth on a lunar fly-around promising magnificent views of the far side never seen before by eye.

The Artemis II astronauts received a call from Apollo 16 astronaut Charlie Duke. Canadian Space Agency astronaut Jeremy Hansen was presented with his astronaut wings while in flight. The crew is scheduled to make its closest approach to the moon on Monday,

Follow live updates as NASA's Artemis II crew members circle the moon in the Orion spacecraft. The astronauts lifted off last week and are expected to come within 4,070 miles of the lunar surface.

The four astronauts on the Artemis II mission have passed the halfway point between the Earth and the moon. Mark Strassmann spoke with the astronauts about the accomplishment.

It's a beautiful sight." The four astronauts on the Artemis II mission are now closer to the moon than they are to Earth, the first time humans have even approached the moon for more than half a century.

The crew’s Orion capsule entered what’s known as the lunar sphere of influence at around 12:41 a.m. ET Monday, crossing into the region of space where the moon’s gravitational pull is stronger than the pull of Earth’s.

Today, Monday, April 6, is the day for the four astronauts on the Artemis II mission. They'll approach the moon for a lunar flyby, seeing sights never before seen by human eyes, along with spectacular views of the Earth.

NASA's Artemis II crew are entering the moon's sphere of influence, preparing for the lunar flyby. Track the location of the Orion capsule. Here's what the four astronauts will be doing today. As the four astronauts on the Artemis II mission approach the moon for a lunar flyby,